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Six Tricks for Safe Picnics﻿

If you’re among the millions of Americans planning a picnic or backyard barbecue for the long Memorial Day weekend, make sure you practice smart food safety. Food-borne bacteria thrives in warm environments, and the last thing you want to do is spoil the fun by serving spoiled food! So play it safe and follow these six safe picnic tricks:

Fuller is cooler. Use a cooler to transport your food and to keep any perishable food cold while you’re outdoors. Have extra ice on hand, and add it as needed to keep the cooler’s capacity filled—a partially empty cooler won’t stay as cold as a full one.

H2O to go! If you’re not sure if your destination has clean running water, bring a gallon or two with you—along with sanitizing hand gel and antibacterial wipes.

Keep it clean. Wash your hands and any surfaces before handling food and before you eat.

A cut above. Use separate cutting boards for slicing meats and chopping veggies. And wash the boards—and the knives—between each use.

Don’t let ’em mix. Keep raw foods (and their
juices) away from cooked foods. So, for example, if you used tongs to place your
steaks or burgers on the grill, make sure you wash them before you use them to
pick up the cooked meat. Same goes for any plates the raw meat was sitting on.

Mind your mayonnaise. Serve mayo-based salads, like
potato salad, directly onto your guests’ plates, and return the rest to your
cooler or fridge, rather than leaving a big bowl of it sitting out.

Have a wonderful Memorial Day cookout! And if you’re looking for some mouthwatering new dishes to serve, check out our bestselling book, Vital Vinegar Cookbook “Cures”! It’s full of plenty of picnic-friendly foods your friends and family will love! And you can even try the book out for FREE for a full 21 days with our Free Preview!